starting strength gym
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25

Thread: Home gym question: Why do you need 2 pair of any weight plates?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2013
    Posts
    35

    Default Home gym question: Why do you need 2 pair of any weight plates?

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    I've been working -- like a lot of folks -- on my home gym, of late.

    I realize this is a purely academic question which I will presumably meet the reality of soon, but I found several threads (and an article by Rip) that suggests having 1 pair of all weight increments -- except *2* pair of either 10 or 5 pound plates. Huh? I have written out all the combinations I may want to load and I cannot find where I would need this redundancy.

    Any help? What combination am I missing?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,559

    Default

    How do you load 265?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2020
    Posts
    4

    Default

    For my home gym I decided that I did not need 35 lb. or 15 lb. plates, and that I could get away with the following:
    • One pair of 1.25, 2.5, 10, and 25 pound plates.
    • Two pair of 5 pound plates.
    • Three pair of 45 pound plates.

    If I ever get strong enough to lift more than 405 pounds, then I will just get another pair of 45 pound plates.

    I built an Excel sheet of how one could load the bar and quickly observed a repeating pattern.

    Here is that table showing total weights (including a 45 pound barbell) from 45 pounds to 225 pounds:

    Code:
    45	25	10	5	2.5		Plate Wt.	w/bar
    						0	          45
    				1		5	          50
    			1			10	          55
    			1	1		15	          60
    		1				20	          65
    		1		1		25	          70
    		1	1			30	          75
    		1	1	1		35	          80
    		1	2			40	          85
    		1	2	1		45	          90
    	1					50	          95
    	1			1		55	          100
    	1		1			60	          105
    	1		1	1		65	          110
    	1	1				70	          115
    	1	1		1		75	          120
    	1	1	1			80	          125
    	1	1	1	1		85	          130
    1						90	          135
    1				1		95	          140
    1			1			100	          145
    1			1	1		105	          150
    1		1				110	          155
    1		1		1		115	          160
    1		1	1			120	          165
    1		1	1	1		125	          170
    1		1	2			130	          175
    1		1	2	1		135	          180
    1	1					140	          185
    1	1			1		145	          190
    1	1		1			150	          195
    1	1		1	1		155	          200
    1	1	1				160	          205
    1	1	1		1		165	          210
    1	1	1	1			170	          215
    1	1	1	1	1		175	          220
    2						180	          225
    I hope that you can see the repeating pattern.

    Now, where ever you see 2 sets of 5 lb. plates being used, you should realize that can achieve the same plate weight by having two sets of 10 lb. plates.

    For example:
    If you want to add 40 pounds to the barbell, you can do it in the following ways using only 10 pound and 5 pound plates:
    • One pair of 10 pound plates PLUS two pair of 5 pound plates
    • Two pair of 10 pound plates

    I decided to go with two pair of 5 pound plates and one pair of 10 pound plates since this approach is cheaper than one pair of 5 pound plates plus two pair of 10 pound plates.

    I hope this made sense...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    Indianapolis, IN
    Posts
    2,266

    Default

    85,
    90
    175,
    180,
    265,
    270,
    355,
    360,
    445,
    450,
    535,
    540
    Starting Strength Indianapolis is up and running. Sign up for a free 30-minute coaching session.
    I answer all my emails: ALewis@StartingStrengthGyms.com

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Posts
    668

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by georger View Post
    I've been working -- like a lot of folks -- on my home gym, of late.

    I realize this is a purely academic question which I will presumably meet the reality of soon, but I found several threads (and an article by Rip) that suggests having 1 pair of all weight increments -- except *2* pair of either 10 or 5 pound plates. Huh? I have written out all the combinations I may want to load and I cannot find where I would need this redundancy.

    Any help? What combination am I missing?
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    How do you load 265?

    You can do it with 35s, I guess. But I'd rather use the space for more 45s instead of having a peg just for 2 35s.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Posts
    87

    Default

    A pair of 35s along with pairs of 45 25 and 5 would get 265. But 35s don't get any love because they are just plain weird. Nobody knows what to do with them so they mostly gather dust in gyms. They are an embarrassment to gym owners until a pandemic lockdown happens and gym gear gets loaned out to members. They are happy to borrow whatever is available including 35s.

    If you have them use them. But if you are buying plates ditch the 35s and get extra pairs of 10s and 45s.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    Germany
    Posts
    275

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    How do you load 265?
    The first "plate redundancy" that appears in this example is 45s.
    Also, I assume there are no 20lbs plates (I use kilogram, sorry), but 25. Are there heavier plates than 45s?

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Posts
    23

    Default

    45+35+25+5 on each side.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    135

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Rippetoe View Post
    How do you load 265?
    It looks like it could be done like this:
    Bar (45lbs) + 2x45lbs+2x35lbs+2x25lbs+2x5lbs

    But 10s are cheaper than 35s and can be stored on the same hook in the plate rack, so I just bought two sets of those.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    North Texas
    Posts
    53,559

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by Matt James View Post
    You can do it with 35s, I guess. But I'd rather use the space for more 45s instead of having a peg just for 2 35s.
    35s are the most useless waste of space in any gym that has them. Look, we've already figured this out, but you guys have fun.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •